Public ChartLists v2.0 Update

Last month I wrote about our plans for the new version of our Public ChartLists area.  In that article I said we were shooting to release the new system around February 1st.  Well...  Turns out I was still giddy from the eggnog when I wrote that.  It's going to be a little while longer.

The good news is that we have made some great progress towards our goal.  I wanted to share a couple of screenshots of what things will look like once all the dust settles.

Remember, we have several goals we are trying to achieve with this new version including:

• A continual reward system with many levels - not just the single "Hall of Fame" designation.
• An easy-to-use categorization system that helps users find content they want to read quickly.
• An iron-clad voting system that will eliminate voting fraud.
• A list ranking system that is based on more than just simple voting.
• A notification system that lets readers know when content they are interested in has been updated.

With those ideas in mind, here's a screenshot of the new "scoreboard" page - the page that shows all the different Public ChartLists that people can choose from:

Let me point out some features that this screenshot hints at:

• Readers can search for ChartLists based on category or key word searches.  Each list can belong to up to 3 different categories such as "Cycle Analysis", "ETFs", or "None of the Above".
• Members can choose to "follow" (i.e., subscribe to) any ChartLists that they enjoy.  A gold star appears by lists that a member is following and the member can choose to be notified whenever any of his followed lists are updated.
• Members can vote on a daily basis for the lists (up to 3) that they enjoyed reading the most.
• Non-member can read any ChartList but they cannot follow any lists nor can they vote for any lists.
• Each day, we're going to use a combination of followers, votes, visits from non-members, and random reader survey results to calculate each list's "Quality Rank."  That rank will be used to determine a list's position on this "scoreboard" page.  The exact formula for determining that rank will not be released.  Our goal is to reward authors that focus on sharing great content rather than rewarding authors that try to game the ranking system.
• Readers can choose to re-sort the list by number of followers, number of votes, categories, or latest update time.
• Authors with consistantly high Quality Ranks will earn "perks" like having an icon/avatar for their list, having decorative text in their list description, having live links to other websites, having a different color theme for their list pages, having a personalized URL for their list, and more.  The complete list of "perks" and the requirements that need to be met in order to gain and keep each perk are still being worked out.
• Authors will also be able to earn "badges" for their list that help readers decide which lists to review.  Badges will be awarded for a variety of achievements including longevity, cumulative followers, cumulative votes, and more.  (Note: Current Hall-of-Fame mebers will get a special badge to commemorate that achievement.)
• Each day, the five highest ranked ChartLists will be featured on the scoreboard page.  We are considering ways to feature new authors as well. 

Here's a sample screenshot of what a ChartList with many of the perks could look like:

Again, parts of this are still evolving and there are several options that aren't shown, but here are some of the general things to notice:

• A color theme (one of 10+ that we will have) has been choosen.
• The StockCharts header has been minimized.
• The author's web page and Twitter accounts are linked in.
• The author's personalized avatar appears.
• There is lots of (unused) space for commentary about the list at the top of the page.
• There are prominent buttons for StockCharts members to vote for the list and/or subscribe to it.
• The badges that the author has earned appear prominently.
• An optional mechanism for readers to send feedback to the author will also be available.

If you are a reader of Public ChartLists, I hope these screenshots have you excited about the improved ability to find high-quality, interesting chart commentary to read.

If you are a Public ChartList author, hopefully you are excited about the ability to improve your list, earn rewards, and over time to essentially create your own financial commentary website using our live charts.  (Just imagine "http://stockcharts.com/list/your-name-here".)

We're hard at work right now making this stuff a reality.  I'll go out on another limb and say that it will be ready by March 1st.  I might be wrong again but hey, it will keep the programmers motivated...

- Chip